USA: An auction of photographs belonging to Elton John fetches $900,000 at Christies in New York

Record ID: 862303

  • Title: USA: An auction of photographs belonging to Elton John fetches $900,000 at Christies in New York
  • Date: 13th October 2004
  • Summary: (L!1) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 14, 2004) (REUTERS) VARIOUS: IRVING PENN'S 'WOODY ALLEN AS CHAPLIN' AT AUCTION (3 SHOTS) VARIOUS: IRVING PENN'S 'MERMAID DRESS' AT AUCTION (7 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 28th October 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES / UNIDENTIFIED
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA9JSA5NZKG03Y0FLWY6BBI353F
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Photographs belonging to flamboyant pop star Elton John go for 900,000 U.S. Dollars under the hammer at Christies in New York.
    Elton John's photography collection is as flamboyant and varied as his wardrobe, and buyers snapped up some lots way above estimates at an auction in New York.
    Christie's on Thursday (October 14) sold a collection of 79 lots of photographs collected over the years by the British pop star. In total the sale fetched U.S. dollars 900,791 with 92 per cent of the lots sold.
    Sir Elton was off-loading just a fraction of his massive photography collection in order to make more room for his long-standing hobby.
    The top lot, Robert Mapplethorpe's 'Vase with White Tulips' went for U.S. dollars 70,000, that's U.S. dollars 20,000 above the high estimate of U.S. dollars 50,000.
    Another Mapplethorpe, 'Calla Lily' fetched U.S. dollars 45,000.
    Most of the Mapplethorpe flower photos went above estimate. International Director of Christie's Department of Photos, Josh Holdeman explains the interest in Mapplethorpes that were once owned by Elton John.
    "I think it is because Elton has become so closely associated with flowers and in particular with Mapplethorpe's work. He has extensive holdings in Mapplethorpe, he has collected them very deeply and I think that a lot of people tend to link the two," he said.
    Among the most valuable lots in the sale were images from some of the most legendary names in photographic history. Examples include a classic western landscape by Ansel Adams (U.S. dollars 36,000) and a painting by Irving Penn called 'Mermaid Dress' (U.S. dollars 48,000).
    John was a folk-tinged singer-songwriter when he had his first hit with 'Your Song," co-written with Bernie Taupin, in 1971.
    But John soon embraced the flamboyance of glam rock and loved to perform flowery costumes and massive platform boots.
    John now openly admits his homosexuality, and some of the erotic images in the collection reflect this aspect of the singer.
    Also present were photographs of fellow celebrities, including an image of Woody Allen dressed up as Charlie Chaplin by photographer Irving Penn.
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